Kapoeta is a town in South Sudan. It is located in Kapoeta South County, in Eastern Equatoria State, in southeastern South Sudan.

Location

The town lies on the east bank of the Singaita River. The post at Kapoeta was established by Captain Knollys, who reached the river in January 1927. This location lies approximately 275 km, by road, east of Juba, the capital and largest city of South Sudan. The town sits at an elevation of 677 m above sea level.

History

Kapoeta was upgraded to Town status administered by a town clerk on August 19, 2013.

Transport

The main road from Lokichogio, Kenya to the capital city of Juba, South Sudan, runs through Kapoeta. The town is also served by Kapoeta Airport which, in 2011, was little more than a dirt strip.

Population

, the population of Kapoeta was estimated at 7,000.

Culture

Kapoeta town sits in a land dominated by the Toposa ethnic group. The Didinga also live in the area, but they are farmers and tend to inhabit the fertile, wetter hills, whereas the cattle-centric Toposa people dominate the plains.

In popular culture

Kapoeta is a destination for the many South Sudanese who are chronicled in the nonfiction book Lost Boy, Lost Girl: Escaping Civil War in Sudan.

Points of interest

The following points of interest are found in or near Kapoeta: